Russia confirms intention to elevate talks with Ukraine
Photo: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a phone call in which they expressed support for the idea of raising the level of negotiations with Ukraine.
The statement came from Yury Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, according to reports from RIA Novosti and other Russian media.
According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, the phone conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin lasted around 40 minutes. During the call, the US president briefed the Kremlin leader on his talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders.
The two heads of state expressed support for direct negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations and discussed the idea of raising the level of those talks. Russian media quoted Ushakov as saying that the leaders had agreed to "explore the possibility" of elevating the rank of representatives from Moscow and Kyiv at the negotiating table.
Ushakov added that Putin thanked Trump for what he described as progress on the Ukraine war following their meeting in Alaska. He said the Russian leader also emphasized the importance of Trump’s efforts to seek long-term solutions to the conflict.
In parallel, Trump posted on social media that he had launched preparations for a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, which would later be followed by a trilateral summit also involving him.
Background
Last week, Trump met Putin in Alaska, where the war in Ukraine was the central issue. Trump initially traveled there with a proposal, backed by Ukraine and Europe, to first secure a ceasefire before addressing broader issues.
Following that meeting, however, Trump began promoting the idea of a comprehensive peace deal, calling for an immediate settlement rather than an interim truce.
It was later announced that Zelenskyy would travel to Washington on Monday to discuss ending the war. The visit included a one-on-one session with Trump, followed by expanded talks with European leaders.
German outlet Bild reported that Trump interrupted those talks to place a call to Putin, though the negotiations later resumed. The White House has since confirmed that the discussions have now formally concluded.
